MUSIC

McGonigel's Mucky Duck presents Girlyman.

Maybe it’s this mix of earnestness and humor that has audiences nationwide falling in love with Girlyman, or maybe it’s just that their soaring three-part harmonies are unlike anything you’ve ever heard. Maybe it’s their folk-pop-bluegrass sound—something like Nickel Creek meets the B-52’s, where the members switch off songwriting duties, lead vocals, and a range of instruments—or maybe it’s the catchy, often haunting melodies. Either way, Girlyman is on a roll.

After the group won an Independent Music Award for their debut CD Remember Who I Am, Amy Ray (one of the contest’s judges) decided to sign them to her indie label Daemon Records. When the Indigo Girls invited Girlyman to join them on the road, the as-yet unknown opening act received standing ovations and sold so many CDs that the label had to make an emergency shipment...and when those sold out, another.

Since then, the buzz about Girlyman has grown to a low roar. Since signing with Daemon, Girlyman has appeared on internationally syndicated radio shows like Mountain Stage and has received dazzling reviews in dozens of national and regional publications. The trio’s robust 2004 festival season included appearances at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, the Boston Folk Festival, and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, where Girlyman was voted "Most Wanted to Return."

Photo by Stephanie Richardson and Jeff Steinmetz.